


Fellowship of the Clowns

by maddieshoes



Category: clowngang
Genre: Adie fucks a general, CancelledClowns, Crack, Crackstory, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Fatiah is in a gang, M/M, The Alphabet Group, Theft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25394842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddieshoes/pseuds/maddieshoes
Summary: Long ago, a group friends were banished from the Northern Isle. Sent out on a mission to assassinate King Andrew of the South. Along the way, they meet new people and learn more about their kingdom; the true secrets that lies beneath the throne.akaclown gaang decides to take matters into their own hands and create their own land of peace, taking down queen myra and anyone who dares to defy them.aka clown gang fic with a sprinkle of crack xx
Relationships: Amimu, Dvantsa
Comments: 9
Kudos: 5





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> jkjsjds dont hate my clowns-

Long ago, all the problematic people used to live in harmony. Then everything changed when the snowflakes attacked… 

Just kidding… Although, that may not be too far off. 

The war between the two lands had been brutal. But how did they get there? You may ask. Let me tell you… 

It started with a simple day. _Really!_ Just an ordinary day in the land of Struggledom. Gvantsa and Amira running errands, Dixita following behind, although stopping every now and then when a pretty girl caught her eye. And of course, Dhara and Maddie hanging out. That’s what the others were told anyway. 

Now what they were _really_ doing was hiding behind some sketchy alley gambling with a bunch of men twice as old as them. But this wasn’t their first time, trust me. They were always getting into shit like this. 

“You girls sure you wanna do this?” It _was_ quite risky; potentially losing out on a whole sack of silver. 

“All. In.” Yes. They were hustlers. 

“Alright…” everyone sat closer watching the match between the old fatass and the little innocent girls. Naturally, everyone believes they have no clue what they’re doing (which is what makes this whole ordeal _way_ more satisfying). 

“ _Are you fucking kidding me!_ ” the man shoots up in anger while the small crowd laughs with an occasional grunt from the opposing side. 

“What can we say!” 

“Beginners luck, I suppose.” Both girls shrug and collect their prize, already sliding away from the group.

“ _No,_ ” from that tone alone, everyone starts to understand what’s about to happen. Two men appear and block Dhara and Maddie from leaving, staring down at them with crossed arms and stern faces. “You don’t think I don’t know who you girls are?” 

“Sir, I can assure you we have no idea what you’re talking about-” Dhara backs away shielding Maddie behind her. 

“I don’t play games, little girl!”

“Um,” Maddie clears her throat, “she’s actually 19, so technically she’s considered a young adult-”

“Did you just-”, He pauses, getting angrier by the second, “What did you just say to me?!”,

“I said she’s not a little, _mmph!_ ”

“What my friend is trying to say is, we really mean no trouble. And we REALLY must be going! If we don’t get home before supper, mother is _surely_ gonna chew us out…” Dhara starts to move Maddie closer to her, hand still covered tightly over her mouth. 

“ _Mother_ , will have to wait.” she smiles nervously and books it, Maddie in hand. “Stop them!”, the girls run and laugh along the way. Really, this truly wasn’t their first gamble.

“You think we lost them- _Ow!_ ” 

“ _Oof!_ ” the friends collide and fall, the contents of their groceries spill all over the pavement. “Dhara? Why the hell are you guys running! You could’ve hurt someone!”

“Yeah, us.” Amira grumbles and rubs her head. All girls patting themselves off and collecting their mess. 

“Uh…”

“We were just way too excited to see you guys that we couldn’t wait!” Maddie smiles yet no one actually believes that b.s.

“Mads, we live together.” 

“OKAY! My bad, I didn’t realize we weren’t allowed to care for you, jeez.”

“That’s not what I-” Gvantsa is cut off quickly by an energized Dixi. She can’t help but smile as she walks over to the group.

“Oh, hey guys! Didn’t realize you’d look for us so soon… I was just about to grab tea with Gabby…” 

“Who?”

“Her,” Dixita turns and points to a girl standing by the shops, she blushes and silently waves a hello to her friends. Gvantsa looks over and her smile immediately drops. _She’s pretty..._ “She’s super cute AND she thinks I’m funny. I know, I know.” she throws her arms up, “I have nothing to be worried about, but who knows! She could be the one. She could be Mrs. Paul…”

Everyone keeps a blank face; probably thinking the same thing. “Dix, no offense, but you can’t hold a relationship for more than three days…” everyone nods. What’d I tell you? 

“ _Shut up, Amira._ Anyway, I gotta go but I’ll be back later, swear!” Gvantsa sighs, 

“I take it you're not coming back for dinner?” 

“What? Of course I’ll be back for dinner!” 

She wasn’t back for dinner. 

…...

The silence is interrupted by a loud bang. Then another. And another. The banging against their front door doesn’t stop until finally Dixi can’t take it anymore and rushes out of bed. Storming to the door, she swings it open. “Can I help you?”,

The men don’t bother answering and barge in, shoving her aside. “Where are the girls?”

“Excuse me?” 

“You heard him.” A short man appears from behind the tall men. She couldn’t possibly be older than 20… Who was this boy?

“Let me repeat myself for the fellas in the back. Can _I_ help you?”

“Dixita, what’s going on-” Dhara emerges rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the rest of the girls being woken up and following shortly after.

“That’s her! Get the other one too…” 

“Oh, fuck.” Dhara runs to the back and grabs Maddie, locking them in their shared bedroom. 

“What’s going on?” Amira shouts, startling the other two. 

“Why are you in here?” Maddie glares, 

“Why are you running?” they all stare at each other for a moment, 

“Fair point…” Maddie and Dhara bring their focus back to the door, locking it shut and hoping to god they can’t break in. Unfortunately, the men accompanying the strange boy were strong. Like, really _really_ strong. Didn’t even take much to break down their little old door to take both girls. “Let us go!” both struggled.

“Hey, meatheads!” Everyone turns their attention to Gvantsa, who’d managed to grab a fire iron. As the men turn towards her, she runs up and hits one over the head while Amira shifts into a clone of one of the men, pulling him into a headlock and tackling him to the floor.

“What the hell-” Dixi turns and hears the boy screaming outside their home, begging for ‘help’. “Who are you??” she says as she grabs the boy. Lifts him up and slams him into the ground staring intently, “Who… Are you?” he looks entranced and makes no more effort to move. 

“My name is Simon, son of the Chief of Struggledom. I am 20 years old and I love to knit-” Maddie gasps,

“You knit too!” she ducks a swing and kicks a man to the ground, “Everyone here makes fun of me for it!”, another swing, “Thank god I’m not the only one-”

“Maddie, watch out!” Amira knocks over the man charging at her and slams his head into the ground, “Yikes...” 

“What on earth- Freeze! Everyone, hands up!” the room goes silent and all eyes shift to the front door. The room crowds with guards and the girls are forced to take their hands off one another. “Simon! We heard your cries, are you okay? What did they do to you?” he groans and yanks himself off the ground, glaring daggers at Dixi.

“I’m fine, _mom_.” Maddie snickers,

“Oh man, both your parents are on the squad. That’s rough buddy…” 

“Simon, what are you doing here?” 

“I’m doing dad a solid. These are the thieves who stole from him.”

“Whoa-”

“Thieves?”

“ _What did you guys do?_ ” All eyes turn to Dhara and Maddie and suddenly the situation is a lot less humorous. 

“Hey man, we didn’t steal shit.” Dhara moves forward, “It was your father, who threatened us!”

“Yeah, after you stole!”

“We didn’t steal anything!” The three-- Simon, Dhara, and Maddie, move closer and closer getting in each other's faces, an endless bicker forming. 

“That’s enough!” The focus goes back to Simon’s mother, “Guards take these girls away.” 

“Hey, where are you taking them?” Dixi rushes after them, the other two girls following close behind. 

“The prisons.” one of the guards answers, “You have a problem, you can take it up with the queen.” 

Dhara and Maddie get escorted across the quad, sharing a single thought.

_We are so screwed._

…… 

The day Marian found herself intrigued by life was a day she would never forget. Actually, take that back. What she wouldn't forget were the people who had slowly become her family; the people who made life, intriguing. 

As she had been startled awake by the slam of a door, she groans and rolls out of the small bed. This being a daily routine of waking before the sun even has the chance to. The early morning shift; although she argues it should be called the most useless time to stand guard. No one even dares to bother the queen so why must they stand there all night? It’s not as if anything happens around this kingdom. Hence why she finds life a bore. 

Marian (among others) gets ready for their shift. She ties her dark locks into a low bun while equipping her ‘armor’ and sword. The armor is pointless really, in fact it’s more of a _fashion choice_ than anything. The four guards make their way to the queen’s room; across the palace, _ugh._ Though they had the 'luxury' of living there, it wasn’t as great as people made it seem. They were far from where they always needed to be and not to mention their living quarters was _way_ too small for twenty personal guards. _Really, who needs that many personal guards?_

The four stand outside her room for what seems like hours now, _shouldn’t she be awake by now?_ Mimi sighs and rolls her neck, pushing her back against the cold stone wall. “Didn’t sleep well, I’m guessing?” she looks over to her comrade and shrugs.

“No, not really.” emotionless, Mimi continues to stretch out; not bothering to carry a conversation at such an early hour. You’d think she’d be used to it by now; waking early, I mean…

The four are startled as the door swings open, a tall beautiful woman with a bright smile struts out of the room greeting each guard with a pleasant, “Good morning, loves. How did we sleep last night?”

“Good, thank you, your highness.” they reply simultaneously. 

“And you?” Mimi asks,

“Wonderful, thank you.. Come, come.” queen Myra motions them with a finger and starts down the hall, headed for her morning meal. The guards stand on either side, walking her down while she attempts some sort of conversation. 

The day continues slowly like every other day. More or less, just Myra sitting on her throne, wandering the gardens, spending time alone in her studies. It isn’t until twilight when someone lets her know there are people to see her. Seeing as this is the first visit in awhile, she agrees and is taken back to her throne. Three people stand in front, awaiting their queen to arrive. The man in the middle looks… well… he's young. He stands tall, sandwiched in between two beefy men. Probably his guards. As the queen walks past them, she finds two girls kneeling before the men, hands tied behind their backs. _Oh? Well this is interesting…_

“Your highness,” everyone in the room kneels as she takes her seat, patting down her poofy dress. “We are sorry to disturb you this evening-”

“Excuse me, I will be doing the talking, thank you very much.” the young man huffs and stands; makes his way forward to present himself. “Thank you for meeting with me, my queen.”

“Yes, well it is my job to listen to my people, no?” she chuckles with a smile,

“Yes… Well I’ve come to you to turn in these _thieves_ …”

“Thieves? These young ladies? Well, what have they stolen, may I ask?” The man walks back grabbing the girls and shoves them up front. His face stone cold as she grips the back of their collars.

“These, _heathens,_ stole almost two sacks of silver from my father! They first _tricked_ him in a gamble, then when my _innocent_ father tried to set things right, they took off with all his money. All our money!” 

“You’re rich!” one of the girls shout,

“We are not! We tried to find them, hoping to talk things out but they had vanished. It wasn’t until I decided to search that we had found them.” Myra hums and looks at the two girls. They looked angry but she could easily tell there was some fright behind their eyes.

“You want your money back,” she says matter of factly, 

“No, I want them locked away. My queen, this is not the first time they have scammed poor, old men. They have done this for too long and it’s time for justice.” 

“In our defense, watching their faces when they realize what has happened is the funniest-” at this, the man whips his head and glares at the kneeled girl with the short hair; she smirks back in return. 

“Making jokes about this isn’t funny! My family are victims of thievery!” he shouts back at the two girls,

“Not funny, _didn’t laugh_.” the queen shrugs and gets comfortable, starting to lose interest in something so little as hustling. “Okay, I have made my decision.” everyone looks up, the room going silent. “Guards, take them to the cells.” She stands and prepares to leave, two guards standing by her side immediately while the other two lift the girls off their feet. 

“What are you going to do to them?” Simon asks.

“That doesn’t seem to be any of your concern now that they’re out of your way.” Myra calls back without even giving him so much as a glance. She leaves and continues her night the way she always spends them. Dinner, bath, and bed. Only this time she finds herself laying awake, hours past her usual time of rest. She rolls over and moves to a sitting position, finding her slippers and grabbing a book from her desk.

“I would like to go to the cells, please”

Queen Myra walks down the dim halls, four completely different guards from the morning escorting her down the chamber stairs. They hold the door for her and follow closely as she makes her way toward a specific area. The prison is never full, not anymore anyway, which makes it so much easier to find the two girls from earlier. She pulls out the journal from her robe pocket and tosses it in front of one of the cells, the one with what looks to be the eldest girl. 

The lady looks up at the queen and back down at the book, clearly unimpressed. “Hello.” she says monotone, 

“Hello, love.” she slides the book close enough for the girl to reach out and grab it, “Oh, please. Take a look at this” at that, there's movement from the cell beside her. 

“Dhara? What’s going on?” the other rises, sleepily rubbing her eyes open. They widen when they see the exchange between the royal and her friend. 

“Rise and shine! I was just telling your friend to have a look at my journal.” the queen sits on the floor in front of them, crossing her legs. The guards around her ready to kneel for her to sit on but she motions them away. “I’m fine, please. Give us some privacy.” they make their way to the back of the room and stand by the door. 

“What is this?” the girl, Dhara, asks. She flips through the pages, silently showing her friend through the bars. 

“Think of it as… An idea!” in return she gets puzzled looks from the thieves, she scoots closer. “Have you ever noticed how… divided we are? How divided the world is? We have become our own little civilization and we have no idea what goes on in other parts of the land. The land that we share.”

“Where’s this going, lady? Cause I was just starting to get comfortable here.” Dhara’s friend responds which only causes the queen to giggle. 

“I was like you once… Rebellious, I mean. And careless.” she laughs at the memories flooding her mind, “but somehow, that still leads me to what I have now. And money. You like money, don’t you?” 

“What do you want?” Dhara asks before the other can answer, 

“I can give you everything you could ever imagine. Money, a nice home, real food, good servants, you name it! Everything you have ever stolen for. For a little price…” 

“Which is?”

“You’re familiar with King Andrew, yes? Of the Southern Lands? He’s quite a journey away but we teach about him in local classes,”

“Yes, we are familiar.” 

“I need him gone.” Myra smiles with so much emotion, it confuses the two intensely. 

“What do you mean gone? Like, take him on a trip?” Myra huffs a laugh, 

“You don’t seem to keep up as fast. What’s your name, darling?” 

“Maddie.” the girl - Maddie - rolls her eyes and moves closer to the bars, looking back at the journal. 

“What’s wrong with the king?” Dhara asks,

“He’s not who you thinks he is. Well, nobody knows, but I've been studying him! He brainwashes his people into believing he’s the true ruler of all the lands, it’s ludicrous! He’s planning an attack against us and the north sometime soon, I just don’t know when. Therefore, I need you, lovely ladies, to help me; you’re queen.” 

“Why us? You have a full on army, what’s the point of sending two civilians to do your dirty work?” her eyes narrow, Maddie still looking through the book. 

“Quite frankly, that is none of your concern…” Myra stands looking down at the two, “Think of it as, you both are expendable, and my men are not. Now, if you do as I say, like loyal citizens, you have the chance of starting over here. But if you do not do as I ask, I will simply leave you two here to rot. I will not do so much as bat an eye at the fact that I’ll have two dead bodies being eaten away by insects and rodents just below my sleeping quarters. How about… you choose? Let’s make this more interesting.” The sound of footsteps come near and soon there are a new set of guards replacing the obviously sleep deprived ones. Before Dhara gives an answer, Myra speaks again. “You,” she points at the nearest guard, “Please assist Dhara and Maddie out of their shackles.”

“Yes, your highness.” she makes her way over and unchains them, the queen still giving instructions, 

“I will need you to escort these two out of the kingdom and to King Andrew immediately.”

“I- what?” the guard turns shocked, no one has ever left the kingdom. Not in over fifty years anyway… Even the prisoners seem surprised.

“You heard me. I would like for our guests to eat before their travels. And while you’re at it, get them some better clothes. These are filthy.” 

…

Marian doesn’t like this. She should have just stood in the back and let someone else do as the queen had asked. Then in that case she wouldn’t be the one stuck traveling farther than anyone has in decades. “Here you go..” she mumbles, handing the two girls stacked clothing. 

The morning dragged on longer than most, everyone unsettled about their upcoming travels. I mean, who wouldn’t be nervous. Traveling so far just to take the life of a leader to many. Queen Myra made sure to send them off as soon as possible. She almost seemed skittish with excitement. As they leave the palace-all three of them- they are yelled at by three other girls, probably about the same age, Marian thinks. 

“Guys!” they run over, Marian instinctively grabbing the tip of her sword. You know, just in case.

“Gvantsa!” Maddie runs over and engulfs them in a hug, everyone making their way back over to Marian and Dhara. “You would not believe what just happened!”

“I think we’re assassins now...” Dhara cuts to the point, hugging them all separately. At this, Marian deems it safe and relents the hold of her sword. Standing there awkwardly beside what is clearly some sort of weird family reunion. 

“I’m sorry?” Amira questions, Dhara sighs and moves to the side. 

“The queen needs us to deal with King Andrew. She says we’re not allowed back here until the job is done. Hence why she,” she points to Marian, “is with us. She’s supposed to be one of the queens guards and is supposed to ‘escort’ us to the southern lands.” 

“You got banished?!” Dixi exclaims, anger starting to seethe through, 

“Technically, yes. But! We’ll be back before you know it! Promise.” 

“... that is unless we don’t make it back.” Marian grumbles, Maddie narrows her eyes, 

“We’ll be fine.” Dhara reassures, “Plus, we have a badass ninja with us. It’s all good.” 

“No,” Dixi speaks up, “you can’t leave us. I-” she hesitates. “I’m coming too, whether you like it or not.” Amira and Gvantsa share a concerned look, eventually coming to terms with the situation. Amira is the first to break the silence with a heavy sigh. 

“So are we.” 

“Guys, no- This is our problem. Let us handle it.”

“No!” That’s the first time Gvantsa actually raises her voice, everyone shuts up. She sighs once more before speaking up again, “We stick together. Plus this will go by faster with us so shut up and you,” she points to Marian, almost forgotten in the background by everyone else. “What’s your name?” 

“Mimi.” She replies curtly, 

“Okay Mimi, lead the way.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gaang finds themselves in trouble but not the life or death kind. As they run into an old friend they learn the truth about their 'queen' that they didn't know before.
> 
> aka 
> 
> clowns keep fighting and need to work together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a lotta dialogue, some temporary inaccurate audrey, and some rushed shit cause i needed to get this outta the way before i could get into the interesting stuff. consider this a filler.

The next day had been a big realization for Marian. To start, within the first hour of their travels, Mimi realized this was going to be way longer than anticipated. But the follow up thought was the understanding that she was no longer considered some ‘escort’ or guard. The others following had each tried their best to include her in conversations. None of importance, really. She’d get asked questions about her personal life, asked for her opinion on a specific topic, or something so sly as a glance in her direction, wondering if she had shown any sign of amusement. Which, she can’t lie, she had been biting her lip for the past 10 minutes so as to not show her reaction. Unfortunately for her, it happened to slip; a chuckle.

“Ah so she does have a sense of humor!” exclaims one of the girls-- probably Dhara or Amira; the heat wave making it harder to think straight.

“I’ve always had a sense of humor, you just aren’t funny.” she says before she even realizes the words leave her mouth. though, a small smirk plays across her face, somewhat proud of shutting the other up. 

By the time night falls, they have settled in a little village. So little there was barely anybody there and could quite literally be mistaken for a ghost town. Only that’s what it seemed in the daylight. Hours had gone by and everyone was passed out with exhaustion. All but Gvantsa. 

She rolls off the bed and slowly makes her way to the door, making sure not to wake anybody. As she leaves the inn, Gvantsa is immediately engulfed in blinding light. The noise surrounding makes the town seem like a completely different place. The streets are filled with families and friends celebrating and having fun, this almost seems like some festival. 

“ _Hey there_ ,” a woman taps on her shoulder. As she turns to the voice, she stops and stares for a moment. A girl with long brown hair and beautiful blue eyes stands in front of Gvantsa with a bright smile. “I couldn’t help but notice you looking a little lost.”

“Audrey?” still at a loss for words, she straightens and pushes her thoughts away. “What are you doing here?” the girls greet each other with bright smiles and tight hugs. It’s been a while since the friends had last seen each other. 

“I live here. I should be asking you the same.”

“Oh uh, I’m just visiting for tonight… Where did you guys come from? We came here a little before sunset and this place was pretty much a ghost town.”

“We?”

“Yeah, me and the girls are headed to the south. The village happened to be on the way.” 

“Oh… You guys are still together?” G nods, “Hm, where are they now?” 

“Asleep.” Audrey smiles and leans closer, linking their arms together. A slight blush creeps on Gvantsa’s cheeks. “Perfect,” she says happily,

“Let me show you around.” she winks and pulls her away.

… 

Audrey takes her around the festival. She tells her the story behind their little town, catches her up, and introduces her to the locals. If Gvantsa thought it was late before, she surely didn’t expect to be up at this hour. The moon had reached its peak, the festival not even close to dying down. “So what’s the deal with the celebration?” she finds herself asking, slowly scooting closer to Audrey. 

“Celebration?”

“Yeah you know, lights, music, _happy people_ …” she giggles at her words and turns to face her,

“This isn’t a celebration, silly. This is how we live! Like I said before, we only really come out at night, so this is really our _day_.” 

They stay put, looking over the streets on a small ledge above the tea house. It really has been too long since Gvantsa has talked to someone other than her circle of friends. 

Memories flood her mind of when they first met. Everyone had lived such bland lives before they met Audrey. She was always the one to reach out and make new friends, they just happened to get lucky and be the ones Audrey leaned to. And after a few times of meeting, they just sort of clicked. The eldest girls were already away from home and living on their own, it wasn’t long before they all got super close and eventually decided to move in. It was nice… But not long into their friendship, she left. Nobody had heard from Audrey in what felt like years. It was almost strange to see her; Gvantsa had almost forgotten what she looked like. 

“Why did you leave?” Audrey looks taken aback, her smile slowly slipping. “Aj?...”

“I… It’s really not important, what matters now is that you’re here. We’re finally back together.” she offers a small smile leaning closer to Gvantsa; _probably hoping to change the topic…_

“This is nice…” G breaks eye contact and smiles softly down at the night life below them; Audrey doesn’t look away, only forming a bigger smile. She hums, “You make it better.” at that, Gvantsa looks back blushing.

“You too,” it wasn’t long before the moon started to set. Neither daring to leave had ended with them falling asleep on one another; Audrey curled into her side with their arms wrapped around each other. By the time the sun had risen, they were awoken by the sound of yelling. It wasn’t hard to make out really, that had obviously been one of their friends. 

“GVANTSAAA- G? What are you doing up there?” 

“Nothing, don’t worry about it! I’ll meet you back at the inn okay?” Amira nods and turns around back to their rest spot.

“What, are you _ashamed_ of me?” Audrey teases, “I haven’t seen them in a while; would’ve been nice to talk to Amira again…” 

“Be my guest, but just warning you… After you left-”

“They hate me don’t they?” 

“No! But… Don’t expect a warm welcome, okay?” Audrey sighs and nods, she grabs Gvantsa’s hand and intertwines their fingers. 

“Okay… Ready?”

…

Coming back to the room was an experience in itself. The door wasn’t even half way open and the two were already welcomed with screaming and flying objects; mainly pillows with the occasional smack to the arm.

“Guys-”

“What is WRONG with you! Why do you always do this-”

“Me? I’m not the one who HOGS THE ENTIRE BED!”

“YOU were the one to push ME off, you bafoon!”

“Screw you, Dhara!”

“Guys-”

“Don’t talk to her that way, BITCH!” 

“Dixi stop…” 

“Yeah Dixi, stay out of this! This SPERMLING obviously needs to be taught a lesson.”

“HAG!”

“SPERM!”

“GUYS!” The whole room quiets and turns to the two standing at the door. Gvantsa’s face scrunched in anger and disappointment, not to mention clearly exhausted. Before the girls explain themselves, their eyes fall to the girl next to their friend. 

“Audrey?”

“What are you doing here?” _Huh, I thought they’d be mad…_

“Hey guys…” since they first entered, nobody has moved. Everyone more shocked rather than angry at seeing their old friend. “Um… So, what’s going on here?”

“Are you really asking us that…” 

“Look, Maddie I know what it looks like but I had a reason for leaving,”

“Without telling us?” this time it's Amira who chimes in, eyes narrowing slightly.

“I had no choice! If I didn’t leave when I did… Something bad would have happened!” 

“What kind of bad?” Mimi speaks up from the back.

“I- Whose this?” they turn to Marian, standing awkwardly at the opposite end of the room. She clears her throat, “Call me Mimi.”

Audrey laughs nervously, rubbing her arm while fidgeting in place. “Heh, already replaced me I see…”

“No one replaced you, okay?” Dixita crosses over and sits her on the bed, pulling her into a short lived hug, “Now can you just explain what happened?” 

“Please?” Gvantsa is on her other side, reaching her hand out to hers. The little touch doesn’t go unnoticed by Dixi but she doesn’t comment on it for now.

she sighs, “The queen was going to kill me if I hadn’t left. I had to hide before she found out what I knew.”

“... And what do you know?” the room was deadly silent, Aj taking her sweet time answering questions. 

“Struggledom isn’t as peaceful as everyone makes it out to be. Myra has been lying to the people- to _everyone!_ She purposefully keeps everyone at a disadvantage so they’d think she’s the best ruler around. And if anyone even dared to fix her system or call her out on it, she’d have them hung. It’s awful! People are starving and struggling and all she’s doing is lying to everyone!” she gets worked up and shoots off the bed, startling everyone. 

“She has the power to help our people and what does she do? Make it worse. I wouldn’t just sit there and let her harm others.”

“So what did you do?”

“I tried taking her down from the inside. It didn’t work- _obviously_ … I lost my friends doing something not worth risking. We were caught almost immediately and only Mads and I made it out. We even tried staying with someone but they started to search and search and… And we had to leave. 

“This is my home now, I promised myself I would never go back.”

“Audrey… I’m so sorry…” 

“All she wants is power and I wasn’t gonna stand for it. I should have just kept my mouth shut and moved on…”  
  


“ _She’s going to take the South…_ ” And that was Marian’s final realization of the day. Almost instantly, she pushes herself off the wall and scours through her personal bad, looking for the map. “She wants us… To kill King Andrew so she can _take_ it…” She almost sounds exasperated with shock,

“What’s the fancy lady talking about?” 

“Mimi…”

“We were sent here to take out King Andrew,” her focus was directed at Audrey, “she spared their lives to send them out and kill the king. She told us he was corrupt! Audrey, _is it?_ ” she comes over to kneel in front of her, “What do you know about Andrew Dulaugon?” 

“Um, not much? I’ve only ever paid attention to Myra, I didn’t realize he was a threat…” 

“Okay… But what if he’s not a threat?...” Audrey turns to Dhara shocked and confused, “you’re not _suggesting_ …” she trails off.

“What if she _wants_ us to believe he's a threat. What if she’s using us to take _his_ land?” At this point, everyone is sitting. Growing quieter and quieter by the minute, not even daring to brush away the idea. 

“I can’t believe… I made friends with _crazy_ people.” Maddie deadpans, 

“What?”

“ _Excuse me?_ ”

“You guys are insane!” (although it was Maddie who was looking insane in this moment) “I mean, do you seriously believe all this? Nobody in Struggledom CARES enough to do anything! Let alone the _queen!_ ” 

“That’s what she wants you to believe, Maddie! All she wants is power!” 

“You’re wrong! She was kind enough to spare us!”

“You idiot! She’s _using_ us!” 

“No she’s not!”

“Is too!” Everyone takes their original positions and begins another argument, _feels like the hundredth one since we’ve left_. 

It’s a back and forth between everyone. Everyone changes the topic back and forth to almost everything they’ve ever actually fought over. Only this time, there isn’t anyone to stop their yelling; no one to be the peacemaker. Only until they get interrupted by the damn loudest banging on the door possible. They don’t even notice it until they’re being pulled apart by nimble little fingers dragging them by the ear. “I said, be QUIET!” a little old lady stands before them, face covered in wrinkles and hair as white as snow. She doesn’t even seem angry, maybe more… amused? 

“Oh my gosh, _Esme_ , I’m so sorry…” Audrey rushes to the old lady and pulls her off the girls, “We didn’t mean to disturb you, I’m sorry… You can go back to bed now, we won’t bother you.”

“Shut it, _Ninnyhammer_.” 

“Wh-”

“What’s all this racket?” everyone looks everywhere else; avoiding eye contact with the strange woman. Audrey was almost offended at the woman’s response. “ _Well?_ ”

“It was nothing… Like she said, we won’t disturb you any longer.” Amira replies, sheepishly glancing up. Unfortunately for them, the woman did not leave. Not right away at first. She sighs and approaches the girls further, “I was like you once,” she says with a fond smile. 

“What? Don’t act like I don’t notice the way you all are so tense with each other. Even when you first checked in, you all had sticks up your asses.” 

“Well that’s just rude…” Dhara grumbles, 

“My friends and I had our differences just like you. But unfortunately, our differences got the better of us and now I’m just a little old lady alone in a little old town.” the tensity of the room definitely drowned out by the mere thought of them separating. “My point is… Whatever this is, fix it.” she turns her back and pats the dust off her clothing, “It’s not worth ruining your relationship, whether it be friendship or… whatever weird _incestuous_ … thing you got going on here.” with that, she leaves with a slam of a door that has the girls all going quiet. Silently considering the words left behind. The room was left with a strange feeling in the air. Nobody really bothering to agree or disagree.

“Guys… She’s right. We can’t keep fighting like this.” Gvantsa, being the voice of reason, starts. “I agree.” chimes Mimi. 

“What if we _can’t_ keep going on like this?” Dixi wonders aloud. “Maybe… maybe we need a break.”

“A break?”

“A break from each other…”

“What are you talking about?” “ _What the hell?_ ” Both Audrey and Marian look at Dixi with such confusion, in fact the whole room is just one mess of confusion at this point.

“We’ve been fighting _non-stop_. And not just on this trip,” she sighs when no one catches on, “Gvantsa, we’ve all been at each other's throats for a while now… I think it’s time we call it quits, moving in was a bad idea. For our friendship, at least...”

“Are you serious right now?” Dhara strides up to Dixi with a stern look, “If we hadn’t stuck together, who knows where we’d be right now! You and I needed to get away from our families and Maddie had nowhere else to go! Gvantsa and Amira keep us in check and without them, we'd probably be dead in a ditch somewhere. Hell, half of us here are unstable as it is. We need each other.” she sighs, “We’re family. We’re not splitting up and that’s final.”

“Since when did you call the shots?” Maddie digs, 

“Since I let you stick around, tadpole.” they all chuckle at the name, 

“You guys need some serious bonding work.” Mimi rolls her eyes, 

“Oh yeah and what do you suggest?” 

“Actually, I have an idea.” Everyone turns to Audrey at the sound of her voice.

… 

“Audrey, what is WRONG with you!” Amira shouts. They wobble over a thin piece of wood, holding up from one roof to another. Their hands tied to one another as they made their way along the far narrow path. “When Mimi said bonding work, I don’t think she meant killing us!” 

“Relax, I’ve done this before.”

“Um, we haven’t???” Maddie retorts with obvious strain. They edge their way across the beam once more, trying their best not to bring each other down. “And you guys said I was crazy, okay.” 

“Maddie, focus!” Gvantsa snaps, she leads them further trying her hardest to get this over with. “The faster we finish, the faster we can head back home.”

“Wait a second, home?” Maddie stops in her tracks causing Mimi to bump into her, 

“Watch it!” she hisses, 

“Sorry, Mimers!” 

“What did you just call me-”

“Gvantsa we can’t go back! We had strict orders to head to the South for Andrew-” at that, Gvantsa turns around glaring at Maddie. 

“You seriously don’t see what she's doing huh?” 

“She’s a little slow, G, give her a second.”

“Fuck you, Dixi!” the beam wobbles at their increasing tension, causing them to raise their arms to balance out. 

“Maddie, she's using us to do the dirty work. As soon as we take him out, we’re dead and she wins. Do you really want her to take everything for herself?” Maddie deflates, 

“I don’t want you guys hurt, okay? Why can’t we just go back to normal… Before any of this happened.”

“Maddie, we’re fine. We’re all gonna be okay.”  
  


“But what if something goes wrong? I don’t have any other family... This is it for me.” 

“As long as we have a plan we’ll be okay, alright?” the calmness in Gvantsa’s tone is enough to ease the tension all the way off the beam, they all make it off in one piece, everyone releasing a sigh of relief. “We’re going to do this together. If what Audrey says is true… We have to do something.”

“Hm, we could create our _own_ kingdom…” Dhara adds,

“What? No, that’s stupid.” Mimi concludes; Dhara clearly is not having it. 

“How is that stupid? We’d create our own rules and let the people live in _peace_!”

“With what materials, Dhara?” she quiets and furrows her brows in thought, 

“Maddie, come with us. Do this with us… think of it as… a _shenanigan_!” she laughs at the word; bringing back fond memories of her days in Struggledom. 

“Just... Be careful, okay? … I go wherever you go.”

“So what is our plan?” 

“I have an idea…” they sit down waiting for Audrey to elaborate, “What if you went to the king? Kept on course making the queen think you’re still going through with this,”

“Then what?” 

“What if you… took his spot?” there are a few chuckles at that, thinking it was a joke. “I’m serious.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean, take him out. But instead of letting Myra know, take his spot and fight her with an actual army.”

“Aj, that’ll only start a war…”

“A war that could take her down.” they ponder the suggestion thinking realistically whether or not fighting fire with fire was such a good idea. _It’s worth a try._

“I don’t want a war.” Gvantsa speaks up, “But taking King Andrew’s spot may help us…” 

“So we start there. Continue to the South and claim the throne.” 

“That’s not too bad of an idea actually…” 

“So we’re doing it?” they look to Gvantsa for confirmation, 

“I think… It’s worth a shot.”

They untie themselves and manage back to the inn, gathering their belongings. Everyone is readying themselves for travel, already tired with the recent events that have passed.

“ _Hey there,_ ”

Gvantsa turns to see Audrey standing in the doorway with a small smile, seeming sad almost, _uh oh._

“Is everything alright?” G puts her bag down and makes her way over to Audrey, “You seem real _chipper_.” they share a small laugh and holding hands before she speaks, 

“I can’t go with you,”

“What?” Gvantsa’s demeanor switches to something akin to disappointment. “ _Why not?_ ”  
  


“Look, I know people in Struggledom who can provide me intel from the inside. I may not be able to access their information if I keep moving locations. It’d just be easier if me and mads stayed here.” she offers a sad smile, “Don’t be so disappointed, I’ll see you again soon, okay?”

Gvantsa sighs, “Just… don’t go ghosting us again, got it?” Audrey laughs, “I promise.” she says with a smile. One that’s genuine this time round. 

“You better…” Gvantsa sighs, they’ve grown close to each other. And not just emotionally. The two stand close, faces so close they can feel each other's breath. Slowly, one of the two- Gvantsa doesn’t know which- makes the first move and starts to lean in… 

“Hey Audrey, where do you think is- WHAT THE HELL!” Dixi bumps into the two on her way inside. “Were you two just about to-!” by now the girls have jumped away from each other, each sharing a bright red across their face. 

"Dixi!"

"No! Nope! Nothing happened!" the three stand in awkward silence, Dixita's eyes flitting between the two and their flushed faces. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tHeYre fiCtiOnaL chArAcTeRS- uhh too lazy to fix some of this piss


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everything in this chap is a flashback basically (or for amira, memories ig).
> 
> amira remembers her past and life before she met the other whores. she gets sad but a certain someone is at her side.
> 
> introducing a new character 
> 
> again this is all in the past so current clown gang shenanigans were put on hold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok heres your crack shit guys. i liked the concept of this chapter but unfortunately i am disabled mentally and cannot share my thoughts correctly. 
> 
> n e way enjoy depressed amira and me not caring to properly edit dis

Usually the youngest child doesn’t like being replaced by another, but Amira loved nothing more. Although, the six year old didn’t really know what it meant when her parents said they were welcoming a _new edition_ to the family. Ideally, a family pet _would_ have been better. Would have been loyal and friendly… Wouldn’t have stolen _her_ spotlight… Would have been _behaved_ … Okay who is she kidding? 

Amira did _not_ want a younger brother. 

But her parents had been so excited! And well… she felt obliged to love the idea. And as the due date grew closer and closer, she grew bitter and more attention starved. Hey, it wasn’t her fault. She was just a _kid_. A _normal_ _kid._

Meeting the newest member of the Moktefi family was what changed her mind. Like flipping a switch, Amira had gone from some bratty girl to a big sister. A role model! And she loved that way more than being the baby. From then on, she did _everything_ with the kid. Tea parties, chores, errands, playdates with childhood friends. And Mo never grew tired of her. This was especially perfect for the eldest sibling; her older brother. He loved the silence and privacy. Now with those two taken care of, he had more time to do whatever he wanted. It was a perfect situation. A happy family; happy life.

Except for one thing.

When Amira had turned 13, she had changed. And not as a person, she changed as a… being? Every now and then she's noticed a change in her physical appearance. And no it wasn’t just her boobs developing. Amira stands in the mirror with a face she’s grown all too familiar with. _What the-_

She doesn’t hesitate to run to the washroom and splash water on her face, hoping this was some sort of _illusion_. Nope. still there. Panic rises within and she storms out of their shared bedroom, screaming. 

“Amira? Baby, what’s wrong?” 

“My face! What’s wrong with it!” her mother tilts her head in confusion, sudden realization appearing on her face. 

“Honey… You are _beautiful_. Are the girls saying mean things to you?” 

“Huh- what are you talking about?” 

“Amira, if people are bothering you at school, tell me. I can take care of it. No one calls my daughter ugly.” Amira wriggles her way out of her mother's grip and hastily makes her way back to the mirror. “What… I don’t understand? Where did it go?” her mom looks at her with concern, 

“Where did what go, Amira?” 

“This wasn’t my face! I looked like Mo...” 

“Are you feeling alright…” a hand is forced onto her forehead checking for any sign of fever. “You feel warm, honey, why don’t you go lay down and I’ll bring you some tea.” 

_Maybe it was just an illusion_.

…

It was not an illusion. The second time Amira experiences a shift happens four months later. She decided her freakout was not worth revisiting seeing she had just come down with an illness. So she hadn’t expected to wake up one morning and see a completely different person in the mirror. Well not entirely different. Her body and shape were all the same, but her head was someone she didn’t even recognize. And though this time had been more intense, she didn’t run. She didn’t scream or tear at her face. She just stood there, observing. This was _not_ an illusion. 

…

Amira Moktefi is 16. She celebrates her birthday with close friends and family. She goes to school and tutors her brother like a normal girl. Except she wasn’t normal. She had come to terms with this. Weeks worth of research has brought her to believe she was one of the _reborn_. Or mutants as some people called them… she wonders why she had never heard of these people before so she asks. Amira doesn’t give herself away, she’s not stupid. But when the topic arises at the dinner table, her mother is quick to pause her eating. 

“Where did you hear about those?”

“Oh, um… We’re doing a… project! In school. A school project, yep.” the family looks unsettled, even her older brother stiffens in his seat. 

“What’s a reborn?” Mo asks, he really is _adorable_.

“Nothing. You eat your food, don’t worry about them. And _you_ ,” her mother points her fork at Amira, “drop it. Mo doesn’t need anymore… nightmare fuel.” she grumbles.

“Nightmare?” Amira almost feels offended, “what did they ever do? They’re just like you-”

“Amira, those things are nothing like us. Those things have been terrorizing humans for centuries, don’t you dare go defending some _monsters_ .”

“What did you just say?” 

“You heard me. Now if I were you, I’d finish my food before it gets cold.”

“Fuck the food.” 

“Amir Moktefi,” everyone tenses, already knows what's about to go down. Although it isn’t her mom that speaks up, but her dad. “You do not use that kind of language at the table. Apologize to your mother right now.”

“No.”

“Amira-”

“I’m not gonna let you shit on people you don’t even know. Not all of the reborns are bad!” 

“Apologize-”

“ _You_ haven’t even _met_ one! How would you know if they’re good or not, hm? I may not have encountered one, but you are also being _very_ ignorant on this topic. I am going off of facts and _history_. Not some fantasy of falling in love with some walking eel!” Her mother, Feti, stands, Fists clenched in the table cloth beneath her fingers.

“You are impossible! Why is it so hard to accept that things are different now?” 

“Because they’re not!”

“You don’t know that!” Feti, huffs and composes herself, taking back her seat and patting down her dress.

“Finish your food, we’re done with this conversation.”

“No, we’re not-”

“Amira, listen to your mother and _shut up!_ ” At that, Ish, the eldest sibling, clears his throat and excuses himself, taking Mo with him. “Hey buddy, you wanna show me what you learned in school today?” can be heard as they walk away to their room. “You have no right to disrespect your mother like that in _our_ home.”

“Whatever” she rolls her eyes, 

“Okay, you know what? You’re excused. Go to your room.”

“Fine!”

…

Controlling it is what’s hardest. She always shifts at the worst possible moments and finds herself excusing herself practically every 5 minutes. Okay, well maybe that’s a stretch. But it feels that way! 

This time, she sits in front of the mirror as one of the girls from school. If anyone were to walk in at this moment, they’d think someone had broken in. but no one was home, which gave her time to practice. Amira sits cross legged, back straight, even breaths. Although she’s losing her patience. She’s been at this for _hours_ now. Trying so desperately to gain some sort of control with this… power? Ability? She didn’t know what to call it quite frankly. 

Her skin morphs back into its normal paleness. _Breath_ , she thinks. More and more of her body shifts back into her original form. _You’re doing it!_

_Thwack!_

Amira loses control and jumps at the noise. Quickly turning to the intruder at the door. _Mo_. “It’s not what it looks like-” he screams. A loud shill escapes from his little body and Amira is quick to yank him into the room, shutting the door along with his mouth. “Stop! It’s me! Mo, it’s Amira!” 

“You’re not my sister! HELP-”

“Would you knock it off? You’re gonna get me _caught_ -” oh. That was another thing. Amira has never _told_ anyone. In her little town, mutiny is heavily frowned upon. I guess you could call them… conservative? 

Mo manages to wrestle his way out of Amira’s arms and pushes himself against the other wall, panting and looking in fear. 

“Please, Mo, it’s me, Amira.” Finally, she gains control and shifts back to her normal self. At a faster pace too, huh, she really was getting better at this. When he doesn’t answer, she scoots closer to him reaching out for his hand. “It’s me.” She offers a nervous smile. 

“Amira?”

“Yeah, it’s me, bud.” 

“Are you a wizard?” 

“Oh my god-” Amira rolls her eyes and playfully shoves the kid, little laughs escaping both of them. “You know what I am.” she says after a beat of silence. He looks down at his hands, contemplating his next words and everything that just happened. 

“You can’t- You can’t be one of them.”

“Well, don’t get _too_ excited now.” 

“I mean it, Amira. You know what people here think of people like you.”

“Mo, I’m the same person I have always been. I didn’t ask to be one of them but I am. Okay? Now stop saying it like I’ve been cursed or something…”

“You may as well be! What will mom and dad think? Wait… do they _know_?” she sighs and bows her head, “nobody knows…” she says quietly. 

“I’m sorry…” his eyes rake over his sister's saddened form. Shoulders slumped, and eyes shut tightly. “I don’t care about this. Heck, I wouldn’t care if you turned into a grandma the rest of your life,” she lets out a breathy laugh, one similar to a sigh of relief. “You’re my sister, and I love you no matter what. I’ll always have your back… Okay?” when Amira opens her eyes, tears slip and fall down her cheeks. She looks up, 

“I love you.” and with that, the two are found in a tight embrace. One with hushed jokes and laughter; one that never seems to end.

…

Spring was truly the best season. Some would say… it’s an _awakening_ . A time where cool rain pours down on the earth and says “Wake up hoe.” all of the plants and animals say “okay!” and essentially, nature get’s it’s shit together. The flowers are pretty and the trails get muddy, and THEN the fucking _bugs_ come and all hell breaks loose. So yes, spring was the best. _Especially_ to Adie.

This is the season he feels most compelled to wake sooner. Going on a run every morning and heading straight to the gardens to check on his fruits and flowers. Occasionally not sleeping at all and finding himself roaming the farms before the crack of dawn. It’s a simple life really. 

“Your majesty?” Adie kneels hurled over a mound of soil; deeply focused on the task at hand. “What did I tell you people about interrupting my work?” he snaps.

“I’m terribly sorry, your majesty, but there’s someone here to see you…”

“And who is it?”

“Um”, the guard clears his throat, “The queen, sire…”

“Queen?”

“The North, your majesty. ‘Says she’s here for a visit.” Adie sighs and nods his head in agreement. Hastily planting the seeds and dropping his tools. 

“Take me to her.” the two weave their way around the palace as they have a hundred times now. The halls are crowded and lively, everyone carrying on with their tasks while making room for his passage. He greets them with a smile, stopping once for a light conversation. By the time they reach his conference room, his eyes fall upon his ’right hand’, standing guard by the door; accompanied by another guard unfamiliar to him. “Nice to see you, General.” he nods in his direction.

“Always a pleasure, your majesty.” 

“Will you be accompanying me?” he tilts his head in confusion, “For our visit.”

“Oh, um… If you wish, your majesty.”

“I do.” he smiles and starts for the door, his right hand opening the door and letting him pass before shutting it once more.

“Ah, Andrew. Glad you could join me.” The Queen is laid back against her seat, swishing her glass of wine back and forth before taking a sip. She wears a long white flowy dress, hair braided into a loose bun that hangs low upon her head; looking far too innocent for her actual self. 

“Hello, Myra.” he says curtly, moving to a seat across her way. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Jumping straight to the point are we?”

“Well you’ve come at a bad time, so yes.” Her face drops to one of more seriousness; putting down her glass and moving to the edge of her seat. 

“I think it’s time we have a talk.”

“About?”

“Andrew,” she stands and hands her empty glass to Adie’s general. “From what I got a glimpse of, your gardens are gorgeous! How do you do it?”

“Your majesty, you surely did not come all this way to talk about flowers-”

“Will you take me? I would love to get a closer look at all your hard work.” her smile is blinding almost as her appearance. Adie and the general lock eyes for a moment, a knowing look they’ve grown accustomed to. 

“Okay.” 

… 

“I wonder, how did you learn to care for such beauty.” 

“My father.” Myra hums in acknowledgment but ceases to carry conversation. She runs her hands through the hydrangeas. “These are pretty. What do you call them?”

“Hydrangeas,” he moves forward passing her to kneel at eye level with the blooming flowers, “these symbolize a sort of… desire.”

“For?”

“Just to understand.” Myra looks taken aback but is quick to fix her composure. “Well, they’re lovely.” she continues forward leaving Adie to catch up.

“Why are you really here, Myra?”

“Do you remember our history?” they settle on a bench overlooking the ponds surrounding. “Your… _father…_ had made a treaty between all four lands. Basically bringing peace permanently. That was until the King before me, shat all over it and decided against it. This started the war and well, you know the rest I assume.”

“Your point?”

“I’m getting there, _pissy pants_.” she rolls her eyes and moves her direction to him, “You seem close with your father, am I right?”

“What does that have to do-”

“And I assume you both share similar views in life?” 

“Sure,” he shifts uncomfortably. “I’ll humor you.” 

“I think we should… what’s the word? Recreate?” 

“Are you suggesting-” they go silent, just until the queen’s smile reappears and throws him off completely.

“What do you say? We have the power to finish what your father couldn’t.” he remains quiet, deep in thought. “Except…”

“There’s a _but?_ ”

“Not a but!” she grabs his hands and leans closer to him, knees touching, faces so close they share a breath. “I think we should unite.”

“Excuse me?”

“What if instead of ‘the north and the south’, there was just one.” 

“You want to share a land?” “It’s possible.” her smile only grows wider, getting more excited with the thought of him actually agreeing. 

“Think of how happy everyone would be! Think of how much of an inspiration we could be. Rivaling kingdoms finally uniting for good.” 

“What are you plotting, _your majesty_?” it sounds mocking, his eyes narrowed to slits. “Rude of you to assume I have ill intentions.” She breaks the contact and moves away from him, hope dissipating. 

“Myra, take this however you will, but I don’t trust you for shit.” now she really looks stumped. Shock overtaking her facial features as she sits with a dumbfounded look on her face.

“I- I don’t think I understand…” she laughs nervously as he stands and straightens himself up, “My answer is no. Now thank you for coming-”

“No?”

“No.”

“I demand an explanation! I gave you a good proposition-”

“Ah but you didn’t. What do you get out of it, hm?”

“This isn’t about me, Andrew. This is about the people!” 

“Keep telling yourself that, Myra. My guards will see you out now.” she shakes her head in disbelief and huffs an empty laugh. “I cannot believe this-”

“I can.” Adie provides a smile reminiscing hers from earlier, 

“Andrew, you are going to greatly regret this.” 

“Is that a threat?” his eyes move back to his general’s, ready to give the signal. 

“ _Take it however you will_.” The queen gathers herself and gives up with the fake smiles. This time she glares daggers at Adie and bumps into him on her way out; Adie’s guards quickly escort her out. Suddenly the garden looks dimmer and duller, Adie’s resolve slowly crumbling.

… 

“Amira!” She stands overwhelmed in the middle of the school's courtyard. All eyes trained on her, never ceasing to look away. At the sound of one of her brothers' voices, she musters up the courage to look behind her. There stands Ish, a look of fear and shock overtaking his emotions.

 _Shift._

Still nobody moves a muscle. It all happened so fast! How did she slip? _I thought I had better control… Cmon, why isn’t it working? Shift!_

“Amira?” her silence is broken at the sound of Gvantsa’s voice. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing, just tired.” She offers a strained smile and moves away, averting all attention. The rest of the day, Amira keeps to herself. Only really speaking when it counts. It doesn’t help, though, that Gvantsa disappears and the whole group is at each other's throats. It’s been a long journey and it wasn’t even halfway over, the fights were bound to happen eventually. 

“Yeah Dixi, stay out of this! The SPERMLING obviously needs to be taught a lesson!”

“HAG!”

“SPERM!”

“GUYS!” Gvantsa returns with a girl by their side, an old friend. Amira’s first _real_ friend. They continue with discussion only this time, their friend, Audrey, shares some news. Ultimately, finding out the queen your serving really has _bad_ intentions is quite a shock. But Amira can’t find it in herself to care so much seeing as her mind drifts off. 

“Hey…” they’re back on their path, continuing the journey to King Andrew. Marian walks shoulder to shoulder with Amira, peeking over at her gloomy expression. “You’re awfully quiet today, huh?” Mimi tries a smile hoping to lighten the mood.

“We just met. For all you know, I could be a quiet person.” 

“I know you’re annoying just like the rest of them. Can tell from the way they talk about your _adventures_ .” Amira laughs at that, causing Marian to think she did something _right_. 

“You have a nice smile.” she looks over at Mimi, eyebrow raised. “‘Should smile more.”

“I do.”

“So, if I may ask… Did something happen?” she stays silent, “It was Dhara wasn’t it? Or Maddie? I swear those girls have no filter-”

“It wasn’t them, I just- It’s just not a good time.”

“I understand.” They go back to silence, still walking side by side and occasionally bumping shoulders. “I know… I know we haven’t known each other long but… You know, this is probably gonna end up being a long trip and… I’m good at listening?” Mimi laughs awkwardly, “Never mind, I’m stupid! You’re probably just not having a good day, it probably doesn’t mean anything-”

“Hey! You were right, something is bothering me… Thank you,” Mimi hums, “For actually caring. You’re a lot sweeter than you make yourself out to be.” They share a smile and continue walking in silence. 

… 

“What are you looking at?” her brother lunges at a group of _terrified_ girls. “Leave!” he shouts again, this time making his way over to his paralized sister. “C’mon, let’s go.” the two make their way out of the courtyard but not before someone says something. 

“Freak!” Ish pauses and turns immediately, 

“What did you just say?” 

“She called her a freak.” someone else replies, everyone chimes in now. Not just the usual mean girls but almost _everyone_ there. “Ish, please…” 

The siblings walk home in silence, his arm slung over Amira’s shoulder as she silently cries. “I almost made it… I almost left this place without anyone knowing.” at her own words, she sobs, her brother shushing her and pulling her in closer. “I was gonna leave… there’s a place for people like me and I was _this_ close to keeping you guys from… _this!_ ”

“You weren’t gonna tell us?”

“Mom and dad don’t welcome people like me, Ish.”

“What about me? Huh? Or… or Mo? Were you ever gonna tell us?”

“He knows…” Ish stops in his tracks, taking his arm off Amira so quick, you’d think he had been burned. “Mo knows and you didn’t even _bother_ to tell me!” he shouts. 

“It was an accident! I didn’t want to tell him, he just… found out!” they stand in silence, the brother obviously stressed, maybe even hurt. _Has he really been that distant?_

“Hey, okay, I’m sorry… You clearly have had a lot going on and as your older brother… I should have been some sort of help… Should have at least been more involved.” he mumbles that last part but decides to pull her in for a hug. She reciprocates immediately, welcoming the warmth and love radiating from the brother she always needed approval from. _Her_ role model. 

They walk home in silence, a good silence. Occasionally bringing up new gossip they never bothered to share over the years. It’s nice all up until they walk through that door. The door that leads to two middle aged adults staring them down from the dining table. Clearly they’ve just walked in on a discussion they weren’t meant to. Although that conversation ceases when they hear the lock jingle. Amira stands tall, head and tits held up high, showing now she wasn’t afraid. She knew this day would come. Now it was just time to face her fears. _Rejection_. 

“Hi dad. Mom…” she nods in her direction, “I have something I need to say-”

“No, _we_ have something we need to say.” her mother interrupts, 

“Feti... Let the girl speak.” Amira breathes in a deep breath, readying herself for an inevitable argument. Ish nodded a hello to his parents and silently made his way to their room. 

“I’m not sorry. I have been trying to hide this part of me for years, almost half of my life! I didn’t ask for this but this is who I am. And you’re going to have to deal with that.” her voice doesn’t waiver _once_ and she actually holds pride in that. Looking down upon her parents for what she knew was gonna come.

“No, Amira, I will not just _deal_ with it. We were so close, you know? So close at getting rid of this side of our family. We thought we almost had it, a chance at a normal life and here you go and… stomp all over it!” 

“How is this my fault?” running on adrenaline, Amira steps up to her mother and looks her in the eyes, “I didn’t _ask_ for this. I didn’t ask to be what I am. I didn’t ASK to be _born_ !” her mother looks at her with rage, “I didn’t ask to be a part of this family, and I wouldn’t ask for it if I was given the choice. Not if I knew you, you who's supposed to be my _loving_ mother, were going to be so hateful to something you have no idea about.” she steps back, finally releasing that first breath of tension she’d taken earlier. 

“Then you are not my daughter.” she finally says, “You aren’t a Moktefi. You aren’t _anything_.” 

“Feti!”

“I am ashamed to share the same blood with some disrespectful, rebellious mutant!” 

“I HATE YOU!”

“I don’t care!” her mother storms off with a huff, slamming her bedroom door on the way out. Amira covers her eyes and lets out a frustrated scream. Tears finally allowed to fall, her father engulfs her in a hug. A hesitant one but a hug nonetheless. 

…

Amira stays in that little town for no longer than a couple weeks before she grows exhausted holding her breath with every step she takes. She can sense the eyes on her at all times, even when she's at _home_ . _Well, it’s not so much home now…_

Staying hidden from the world gets depressing. She finds herself unable to leave her bed at all, not even for a meal. Not even when her brothers offer to take her out or cheer her up. This just has her questioning what the point of it all is. _Is living really worth it_ . _Maybe mutants aren’t meant to be_ . She is swarmed by every single harmful thought she could imagine. Hearing her family arguing with each other in the other room, all because of _her_ . _She_ caused this. _Maybe I should get this over with_.

Those thoughts are forced out as she musters up enough energy to get out of bed. To get out of bed and brush her hair. And pack her bags. With everyone distracted, it would be easy to just _leave. Right?_ So that’s what she does. Packs her bags and opens the window in the top left corner of their bedroom. _Huh… this place looks like a prison cell now that I think of it…_

There’s no hesitation when she shifts into something taller and climbs out the window. not even batting an eye at the fact that she no longer has a family. _It’s best for everyone…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sigh one day ill reach audrey's level of writing. one day.


End file.
